Williams



W. H. LOTTS June 24, 1930.

' Filed Sept. 20, 1928 20 ken, or slippages can easily occur,

Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED stares i "rmm WILLIAM; H. LOTTS, OF RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS, 'ASSI'GNOR TO THE OVERLAND CON :S'I'BUCTION COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION ILLINOIS APPARATUS ron ERECTING commits ons'rnnx. STRUCTURES I Application. filed September 20, 1928. semi u 307,122.

' column is being erected in a building structureit is secured by a sling made of cable or occasionally of ch'ain "or heavy rope, and then'raised by "a derrick and placed in position. This system leaves very much to be desired from the standpoint of economy and safety. As fa as'economy is concerned a great deal of unnecessary time is consumed in placing the column after it is raised, as it does not necessarily's'tand 1n the position in which it is to be used, generally inclining at an angle from the vertical. In addition the cable or Whatever is employed'to en'- circle the 'c'ohunnand gripit according to the present system is apt to be cut or broany of which are apt to cause very serious accidents. Accordinglythe principal object of my invention is' the provision of an improved method of and means for erecting steel columns.

Anotherobject isthepr'ovision of an im proved sling structure.

Another object is to raise a column with a high degree of safety.

position which it will assume when riveted into place in the steel structure. v

Other objects andfeatures of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the top of a column showing my improved sling as'applied thereto; I p I Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View, and

Fig. 3 '1s a side view of one'of the anchor blocks in position over the top of a column.

Before proceeding to a description of the method of employing my invention I shall refer to a preferred form of apparatus with which'the methodis practiced. I refer to this apparatus as a sling because it takes the place of the usual sling employed ,insteel construction. It is not meant therefore to Another ob'ect is to raise a column in the.

limit the invention in any waybythe use of this term. I

The purpose of the apparatus is to grip a steel column 10 employed in steel construction work and which has a pair of splice plates 11 secured at both sides thereof by rivets 12. In erecting the column, that is placing and then riveting it into position the splice plates 11 extend upwardly, the lower portion of the column (not shown) being secured to the" top of aprevious'ly placed column of the same general character.

The slingincludes as its main parts anchor blocks 13, anchor bar 14 and an equalizing cable 16. These parts are assembled in the manner shown in Fig. l for raising the column in a vertical position. In order that those skilled in the art may understand fully all ofthe details of'the invention I shall point out all of the features connected with these main parts. v

The blocks 13 are of course the same and one of them will be described as exemplifying the construction of both. The block is split at 13 to provide a pair of legs which extend on opposite sides of the splice plate.

Ea'ch'of these legs is provided with an aperture 13 which is Vertically elongated to prevent the anchor bar fr'om'becoming bound when the blocks are lowered after the column has beenplac'ed. To absolutely prevent any possibility of binding, the top of the split "portion 13 is arranged as shown particularly .in Fig. 3 to engage the top of the splice plate and so hold the anchor block so thatthe bar 14 will be at approximately the center of the aperture 13 so that" it can be readily extracted. The top of the block, that is the 'unsplit portionis provided'with an aperture 13 for receiv ng the equahzmg cable- The bar 14 extends preferably through the top central'portionof the splice plate. A

special aperture is provided in ,the splice plates for'this purpose." This aperture is preferably in the center of the splice plate so that thecolumn will land directlyvertical to facilitate placing it," but an aperture inj an'offset position may be employed if it is'desi'red to use my invention solely from the standpoint of safety without reference to the ease with which the columns can be mounted into position. A link 17 is provided at one end of the bar 14 and a cable 18 is connected from this link to the equalizing cable 16 so that any possibility of the bar becoming detached from the rest of the sling is avoided. A second cable or ordinary manila rope as I have used successfully is also fastened to the link 17 for withdrawing the bar from engagement with the blocks and splice plates making it unnecessary for a workman to climb to the top of the column. These two cables 18' and 19 function well together because with this arrangement the bar 14 may be withdrawn without possibility of danger to workment or others in the vicinity of the construction work.

The equalizing cable 16 is provided with loops atits ends extended through the apertures 13 and there confined by clamps 21 of any suitable character. Another clamp 22 binds the cable together near the center to provie a loop 23 for receiving a derrick hook or the like.

When using the sling of my invention the splice plates are provided with one extra aperture at the ends for receiving the anchor bar 14. 'The splice plates are riveted to the columns as is the present practice, but the extra or mounting apertures are in the projecting ends. When a column is to be raised into its position in the structure of the building the anchor blocks 13 are extended over the ends of the splice plates and the bar 14 inserted. As a precautionary measure separate means maybe employed for holding the bar in this position but I find that the ordinary pressure on the bar resulting from the weight of the column is adequate to hold it in place with safety. A derrick hook is then secured in the loop 23 of the cable and the column lifted to the position in which it is I to be placed.

When the column is in an elevated position .it is lowered directly into the position in which it isto be used without the necessity of guide-ropes or other means to hold it upright when placing it as it will hang directly vertically from its sling. When it is lowered to the place it is to occupy with its bottomend extending between two up-v standing splice plates, temporary fastening means are used to hold it, such as a couple of drift pins or the like. The sling is then removed by withdrawing the bar 14 and the column is then riveted into position in the usual manner. \Vhen withdrawing the bar 14 it is simply necessary to lower the sling until the column rests in the to occupy. The filler in the block as already described makes it impossible for the bar 14 to bind in any way.

The legs of the anchor block fit quite snugly against the sides'of the spliceplate so thereis veryilitt-le possibility of the bar position it is 14 becoming bent through the weight applied to it. The strain which it encounters is practically a direct shearing stress and this can be figured very easily, as the relationship of load and shearing is well understood.

Although I have described several detailed features of my invention to enable those skilled in the art to practice the same I do not necessarily restrict myself to all of the details shown, the invention being limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An improved sling for securing steel columns for raising, said sling adapted to be used with splice plates secured to the top of a column, and comprising means ex tending over the ends of the splice plates, an anchor pin extending through said means and through apertures in the splice plates to secure said means to said splice plates, and means connected to both of said first mentioned means adapted to be gripped for raising the column directly vertically.

2. An improved sling for use in raising steel columns by engagement with the splice plates at one end thereof, said sling comprising anchor blocks extending over the ends of the splice plates, an anchor bar extending through apertures in the anchor blocks and splice plates, and a cable secured to both anchor blocks. I

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein centrally disposed apertures are provided in the splice plates so as to cause the column to hang directly vertically when suspended by said cable. I

4. An improved sling for use in raising steel columns by engagement with the splice plates at one end thereof, said sling comprising anchor blocks extending over the ends of the splice plates, an anchor bar extending through apertures in the anchor blocks and splice plates, a cable secured to both anchor blocks, the apertures in the anchor blocks being elongated vertically to facilitate insertion and removal of the anchor bar.

5. An improved sling for use in raising steel columns by engagement with the splice plates at one end thereof, said sling comprising anchor blocks extending over the ends of the splice plates, an anchor bar extending through apertures in the anchor tically throughout part of their length for engagement over the ends of the splice plate and having apertures therethrough above the split portion thereof, an anchor bar extending through apertures in the split portion of the blocks and the central upper portion of the splice bars, and a'cable having its ends loopedthrough the first mentioned apertures in said anchor blocks.

7. An improved sling for use in raising steel columns by engagement with the splice plates at one end thereof, said sling comprising a pair of anchor blocks split vertically throughout part of their length for engagement over the ends ofcthe splice plate and having apertures therethrough abovethe split portion thereof, an anchor bar extending through apertures in the split portion of the blocks and the central upper portion of the splice bars, a cable having its ends looped through the first mentioned apertures in said anchor blocks, means secured to the cable and anchor bar for attaching the anchor bar to the cable, and a cable secured to the anchor bar for removing it from engagement with the anchor blocks and splice plates when out of reach of an operator. 7

8. An improved sling for use in raising steel columns by engagement with the splice plates at one end thereof, said sling comprising anchor blocks extending over the ends of the splice plates, an anchor bar extending through apertures in the anchor blocks and splice plates, and a cable secured to both anchor blocks, the anchor bar apertures in the block being vertically elongated and so disposed with respect tothe unsplit portion of the block that said portion may rest on top of the splice plate when the column is placed without binding the an- I chor bar against the top of said elongated aperture.

9. A block for fitting over the end of a spliceplate for use with a sling of the character described, said block having legs ex.- tending on both sides of the splice plate, a vertically elongated slot in each leg for receiving a fastening bar, and a stop on the block and adapted to engage the splice plate when the column is placed to prevent binding the fastening bar'against the top of said elongated slots.

10. The block described in claim 9 wherein said legs fit snugly against the sides of the splice plate and the load applied to the bar will be of a nature to shear the pin without bending it. a

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of August, 1928. i

' WILLIAM H. LOTTS, 

